Create A Space NOW is an interactive social justice platform, creating art to combat bias, racism, and systemic oppression. We believe that art is a powerful tool, and we're committed to creating space for art to inspire change, educate, and activate. At Create A Space NOW, we deliver dynamic, art-centered educational programming that goes beyond performance, and we spark dialogue, critical thinking, and courageous imagination. Our curriculum includes dance, theater, film, and poetry and media productions, workshops, presentations, syllabi, and engagements rooted in social justice, equity, and healing practices, giving students the tools to process complex realities and build skills for positive change. Create A Space NOW is committed to equipping schools, teachers, and young people with creative tools that challenge oppression and nurture liberation. Through the transformative power of art, we believe every student can learn to build a more just, joyful, and connected world.

Bright Star Touring Theatre has grown to become one of the nation's largest professional touring theaters for young audiences. Bright Star was founded in 2003 and currently expects to serve around 4,000 audiences this year with programming across America and around the world. Bright Star annually offers more than 60 different 45-minute programs ranging from anti-bullying and literary classics to American history and science-based STEM shows. Bright Star is the nation's largest provider of Black History programming and has had the honor of bringing shows to venues as diverse as the National Park Service and the National Archives and to schools and libraries across New York State. This season, our programs include more than 70 shows, including Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, A Dickens Tale, Bullysaurus Rex, The Story of Anne Frank, The Life of Dr. King, Let It Shine: The American Civil Rights Movement, a bilingual Little Red Riding Hood, and more. In addition to touring productions designed to perform in any space, the company offers theater production camps, theater workshops, residencies, and more. Our shows include comprehensive classroom study guides, post-show Q&A's, and professional actors that join our company from around the country. We are always here to answer questions and help you become acquainted with us and our work! We can't wait to entertain your young audience, as we've done for millions of audience members around the globe.

The mission of The Vanaver Caravan is to inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions, to promote peace and celebrate our humanity. Artistic directors, Bill and Livia Vanaver, have dedicated over 50 years to learning and sharing dance traditions from every corner of the earth. They have traveled across the globe, creating lasting life-long friendships along the way. Our international collective of professional Teaching Artists are trained with an extensive knowledge in our world dance and music repertoire. All of our faculty learn The Vanaver Caravan's holistic, gentle teaching philosophy: keeping students focused and disciplined in a positive and respectful way. Students are given space to learn and grow in an environment that fosters curiosity, creative thinking skills, and self-esteem through kinesthetic learning.

The Wild Center, located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY, spans 115 acres and offers visitors a variety of experiences. Named the 2024 #1 science museum in the country by USA Today readers, The Wild Center’s mission is to ignite an enduring passion for nature that inspires action to ensure a thriving natural world. Highlights include a vast trail system, treetop adventures on Wild Walk, Raquette River Roll interactive ball runs, Forest Music, Birdly Virtual Reality, art installations and 54,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space with interactives in Planet Adirondack and Climate Solutions, all year long. The Wild Center offers on-site and virtual field trips for students, camps, scout groups, and youth groups. The Wild Center blends natural history, science, technology, and art into a unique experience that builds upon classroom learning and lifelong memories. Experiences can be a Virtual Field Trip, an onsite Wild Classroom Workshop lead by Wild Center staff, and/or an onsite Self-Guided Experience. The Wild Center’s programs are experiential, student-driven, and designed to support New York State Educational Standards while engaging students in hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Please contact the School Programs Coordinator at schoolprograms@wildcenter.org, call us at (518) 359-7800 x 123, or visit our website at www.wildcenter.org/schoolprograms for more information and/or to schedule a field trip.

Nick Tokman, “Sunshine” on Discovery Channel’s ‘Deadliest Catch,’ speaks nationally building students' self-worth so they think for themselves and make the best decisions for their future. He partners with schools to address common issues students face including peer pressure, high expectations from family and negative influences. Through storytelling and visuals, he shares with students his path prior to becoming known as ‘Sunshine’ on the hit tv show and how he dealt with struggles that many teens and tweens go through along with the mindset he developed to overcome his obstacles, mistakes and failures. After Nick’s presentation, students will leave believing in themselves to say no to peer pressure and other outside influences that get in the way of who they are and what they want to do with their lives. Having presented across the country to crowds as large as 17,000 people, students will leave remembering these lessons in an entertaining and memorable way. Nick is available both live and virtually. See Nick’s website to tour his virtual studio!

Mariah Schrader offers individual and small group vocal lessons in a variety of vocal styles. Excited to work with students of all ages and musical level. Mariah is a vocal educator and performer, Pre-K - 12 Music Education certified. Has experience in NYSSMA solo preparation with solos and sight reading varying through the all-state level. Directed musical productions at the elementary, middle school, and high school level. Directed performances with students in holiday shows and choir concerts as early as Pre-K through 12th grade. “I look forward to working with young musicians to help them grow musically and confidently.”

American DanceWheels Foundation Presents – Better Together “We are all one, even if we feel worlds apart!” American DanceWheels Foundation’s Better Together assembly uses disability awareness and the beauty of dance to promote understanding, kindness, and respect for people of all abilities. The Show Meet the Performers: Students will be introduced to talented dance performers who will share their personal journeys of challenge and triumph. Wheelchair Ballroom and Latin Dance Performance: Students will watch wheelchair dance performances by dance couples made up of one seated and one standing partner who defy expectations while celebrating the beauty of diverse abilities. Interactive Q&A: Students will have an opportunity to make their voices heard during a question-and-answer segment, engaging directly with the performers and allowing for a deeper connection and understanding. Mini-Dance Lesson (when wheelchair available and class size permits): Participants will be invited to join a mini-dance lesson and experience the joy of movement from both seated and standing perspectives. This interactive dance lesson will help students understand how people can work together to create something beautiful and fun, if they are given the opportunity and tools to participate and learn. Better Together is not just a performance—it’s an opportunity for students to see beyond physical differences and appreciate the shared human spirit through dance. Book this transformative assembly to foster character development and cultivate a culture of inclusivity within your school.

Your students get a backstage pass to the musical side of math in this upbeat, hands-on program led by musician, composer and edutainer extraordinaire George Maurer. Listening is at the core of George’s work as a musician, and his ability to not just listen but really hear has led George through a pretty amazing and diverse 35-year career. George has shared the stage with Grammy winners like Bruno Mars and Eric Clapton, his arrangements have been performed by the Boston Pops and the National Symphony, and he turns on that star power to show K-8 audiences that math really can rock. Utilizing the magic of motion-based modern electronic instruments, George pulls back the curtain on the addition, subtraction, fractions and patterns behind rhythm, pitch and scales and then lets students create their own sounds and patterns using elementary equations and interactive instruments for all age levels— including the mysterious, mesmerizing theremin.

Kelly de la Rocha is a poet, journalist and founder of poem RENOVATION, a fun, web-based word challenge that promotes literacy, creativity and social-emotional learning. The software was a prize-winner at the 2024 Yale Innovation Summit. Every day, poem RENOVATION presents users with a scrambled snippet of literature. They select words that resonate with them, then move them around on a digital canvas. The rules? There are none. The objective? To create. During her lively, interactive workshops, Kelly details how poem RENOVATION came to be and how it works. Students have an opportunity to create a poem, phrase and/or word art on the site, share their creations, and receive positive feedback. Along the way, constructs including perspective, voice and figurative language are discussed. Poem RENOVATION has been used by hundreds of students from New York to California and has become a favorite, ongoing activity in a number of classrooms. Workshops: *Are appropriate for middle and high school classes *Can be personalized to include literature of the teacher’s choice *Are offered in-person or via video call WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING: “The level of confidence that I saw grow in my students was amazing, from not being willing to share to being willing to share, from sitting quietly and not saying much, to offering a compliment or asking a question to better understand one of their peers.” ~Teacher Valerie Wadsworth, O’Rourke Middle School, Burnt Hills, NY They’re loving it! ~Teacher Renee Duran, Stone Valley Middle School, Alamo, CA It empowered them and it brought them to a place where they wanted to share what they made and they love that their creation was never wrong. I think that was what really made the students feel so special and so willing.” ~Teacher Dena Marie de la Rocha, Gowana Middle School, Clifton Park, NY “I immediately understood the impact it could have on public school children’s literacy and social-emotional development. ~Lauren B. Carpenter, Ed.M, Director of Education Programs, Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT

A successful author visit doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of hard work, organization, and continued communication. Booked Authors ensures you achieve a successful and impactful author visit – every single time. With years of orchestrating successful author visits and their corresponding book sales, we know how to coordinate the best author experience for your students. Working with more than 75 children's authors, we strive to ensure you host the best option for a successful author visit experience for your students!

Hello.... even though I hold several world records for climbing and skiing in the Himalaya, and even took a hot air balloon over Everest (we crashed, but made an award winning film!) and was on the U.S. Biathlon Team, and lived with an indigenous tribe on each continent, I still took time to make books, fun books! My books have won Parent's Choice, Pick of the List, NCSS Notable Books for Social Studies, and so much more. Any regions you study: rainforest, desert, mountains, and so on, we visit in my multi-media presentation. We cover standards for MANY subjects, and all national standards for geography and social studies. I leave you with a video, teaching guides, and activities to work with. Imagine large images from adventures around the world, and cultures on each continent, while I give personal information via story telling as an all school assembly... or divide the school into groups for a more personal Q and A to follow. I tailor my words to my audience and work with all k-12 students.

Cuentos de Triadas Inc. offers bilingual, multidisciplinary, author visits, writing workshops, parent and family engagement programs, cultural events, poetry performance, small book fairs and literacy programs. Our programs focus on brining immersive cultural experiences for the youth, showcasing the vibrant Latinx/Afrolatinx culture, incorporating literature, dance and movement, and storytelling. Our original stories are relatable, dynamic and educational, promoting a sense of belonging and cultural pride amongst all participants.